Who The Kinks sing about in Sunset Over Waterloo: How Terence Stamp and Julie Christie became the lyrical heroes of Terry & Julie

"Waterloo Sunset" came out in 1967 of the year, and quickly made the band famous The Kinks: the song reached the top ten in many European countries! In Britain it reached number two, and many years later it was included in the magazine's "500 Greatest Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone and a similar top of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In a word - this masterpiece did not go unnoticed... Sam Paul Weller - popular rocker and British punk-rock icon - has called "Sunset over Waterloo." with your favourite song!

A very personal Ray Davies song

The song was born from the lead singer's pen Ray Davies. He himself characterised his creation as "a romantic lyric about my older sister's generation". The composition is about thoughts a bloke looking through his window at Waterloo Bridgewhich is in London. In fact, it's not a coincidence, it's very much a coincidence. private place for Ray, who crossed this bridge every day as an art school student.....

"Waterloo was a very significant place in my life. I used to lie in St Thomas' Hospital when I was seriously ill as a child and look out the window at the river. I travelled to Waterloo every day to go to college. I'll never forget walking along the Thames with my first wife, and all the dreams we had then... She used to wear her brown suede coat for the walk, which was later stolen..."

Musician continues:

"The two characters in the song, Terry and Julie, relate to the aspirations of my sisters' generation who grew up during World War II..."

Davis summed up his recollections by saying that "Waterloo Sunset" reminded him of "an excerpt from the personal diarythat no one was allowed to read." Over the years, however, it is the characters Terry и Julie increasingly fuelled the public's interest! It has been suggested that they were inspired by the not infamous actors Terence Stamp и Julie Christiewho had a torrid affair...

Terry and Julie's prototype - who "Sunset Over Waterloo" is really about.

Many music lovers and critics agree that the phrase "Terry meets Julie at Waterloo station every Friday night" is addressed to the relationships between an actor Terence Stamp and actress Julie Christie. However, the songwriter himself denied the fact, citing that it was only a "fantasy of my sister going off with her boyfriend to a new world - they were going to emigrate and go to another country". However, Davis subsequently confused this issue even further, stating that Julie and Terry were "big and famous actors at the time". After that, few people had doubtswho we're talking about.

Terence Stamp и Julie Christie were indeed very popular in the 1960s. The actors had been dating since the beginning of the decade and starred together in the film "Away From the Madding Crowd" 1967 of the year, which is often cited as the direct inspiration for the song.

But there's a slight inconsistency here: the film didn't come out until six months after the single was released. As far as Stamp and Christie are concerned. novel over time fadedand they're both engaged to other people.

Famous collabs

In February. 2003 of the year, Davis performed this very personal composition with a by David Bowie. It took place at Carnegie Hall in New York, as part of a charitable organisation Tibet House.

В 2010 "Waterloo Sunset" was performed as a duet by Davis and Jackson BrowneThe track was released on Ray's collaborative album with other artists called "See My Friends".

According to Davis's recollection, Brown was pleasantly impressed by the lyric, noting that it was "the most beautiful thinghe's ever had to sing..."

One last thing

Ray Davies began writing "Sunset Over Waterloo." over several years before the Kinks recorded it. At first, the song was called "Liverpool Sunset."but when the Beatles released "Penny Lane", Ray changed the lyrics so it wouldn't look like plagiarism. Being perfectionistbefore releasing the single, Davis paid another visit to his favourite and in many ways personal place. at sunsetto make sure that "the atmosphere is right.".